HNY! Spicy Black Eyed Peas

HAPPY NEW YEAR! The first post of the year is dedicated to old tradition. I have the same meal the first week of each year, the last few I have put my #mealprep spin on it. Black eyed peas, rice and greens. Southern tradition that dates back pre Civil War – The peas are for good luck in the New Year and the greens for prosperity, I think we can all use an abundance of both after surviving 2017. My black eyed peas really are better than my mothers’ – as a child it was a chore to eat any kind of (overcooked) legume and the fact that they are known to cause GAS only weakened the deal. My new and improved spicy black eyed peas recipe is below and when I tell you I look forward to this once a year meal – believe it!

Black eyed Peas – 16 ounce package

fresh chili peppers – 2 small (chopped finely)

red pepper flakes – 1 tablespoon

brown sugar – 2 tablespoons

black pepper – 2 teaspoons

salt – 2 teaspoons

5 cups of water

Soaking the beans – apparently soaking beans / peas not only cleans the beans but also releases some of the sugars responsible for digestive issues, notably gas. Also soaking your peas reduces the cooking time. Best to leave them soak over night but I’ve soaked for just 3 hours with a similar result. If you don’t have time to soak them, simply rinse them well and pick out any bad or discolored beans.

After you soak, it’s simple. Rinse the beans and set over a high flame in water to boil – add all spices aside from the red pepper flakes and stir. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally for 25 minutes then reduce heat to simmer and mix in the red pepper flakes. Continue to simmer on low heat for 30-35 minutes or until desired tenderness.

That’s IT! Your peas should be tender but still hold form and water should have reduced enough to thicken.

TwitteR

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